This article explains how to prepare your data using the Customer Data Import sheet, so your data is structured correctly in Handyman from day one. If you'd rather have this set up for you, our Consulting team can help — but this guide covers what you need to know to do it yourself.
Note: This sheet should only be used for data that isn't to be synced from an external system. If you use an integration that sends data to Handyman automatically (e.g. customers, employees, or projects from an external system), do not fill that data in here — it will be imported through the integration once it's active. Use this sheet only for the data points not covered by an integration.
Which tabs do you need?
The file contains 34 tabs in total, but you won't need all of them. Which tabs are relevant depends on your modules:
| Module | Relevant data |
|---|---|
| Office / Mobile | Customers, Wholesalers and Items, Employees, Salary Codes |
| Service Light | Equipment Categories, Equipment Types, Sites, Equipment, Reasons for Repair |
| Service Full | Service Forms, Service Tasks, Contract Types, Contracts |
Delete any tabs that don't apply to your modules or your integration setup before you start filling in data.
Before you start
- Make a copy of the spreadsheet before entering any data.
- Remove sheet protection on the tabs you'll be filling in.
- Delete any tabs that aren't relevant to your setup — the file contains more tabs than most customers will need.
- Every field marked in orange is mandatory.
- Each sheet includes an instruction row directly under the column headers, explaining exactly what each field expects. Always check this row before filling in a column you're unsure about.
Get the hierarchy right first
Before filling in any data, it's worth planning your structure on paper. This is the single most important step for making sure Handyman scales well as you add more data over time.
Handyman's core structure works like this:
- Customer – the company or person the data belongs to.
- Site – a physical location. A Site can have a Parent Site, letting you build structures such as a main location with several sub-locations underneath it.
- Equipment – always belongs to a Site. A Site can have one or several pieces of equipment.
If you have data that belongs together (e.g. several locations under one main site, or several contacts and addresses under one customer), decide up front what the top-level record is and what should sit underneath it. Getting this right from the start avoids having to restructure everything later.
Setting up your organization
- Departments – only need a Department ID and Name.
- Employees – Employee ID is what connects them elsewhere in the sheet (e.g. as Responsible or Technician). If your employees are synced from another system, use the same ID as in that system.
- Groups – used to manage access to things like pricebooks, checklists, or salary codes. Only relevant if you need to control who has access to what.
Categories
Categories are used throughout the sheet to tag and group different types of data — for example Sites, Equipment, Salary Codes, or Wholesalers. Each Category has a Type, which tells Handyman what it's used for. The instruction row in the Categories sheet lists all available types — check this to find the right one for what you're setting up. A Category ID must be unique within its own type.
Customers
Fill in a unique Customer Number, Name, and whether the customer is a Company or a Physical Person. If a customer has more than one address or contact person, use the separate Customer Addresses and Customer Contacts sheets and reference them back to the right Customer Number — this is the same 1-to-many principle as with Sites and Equipment.
Sites
For each Site, fill in:
- Site ID and Name
- Parent Site ID — leave empty if this is a top-level location; otherwise reference the parent's Site ID
- Status, Category, Customer Number, and full address details — these are mandatory
- Other fields (responsible employee, travel distance, last service date, etc.) can be added if the information is available
Equipment
For each piece of Equipment, fill in:
- Equipment ID and Name
- Parent Site — every piece of equipment must belong to a Site
- Status and Installation date
- Equipment Type and Equipment Category, if used
- Serial Number
- Customer Number — required to keep the Customer → Site → Equipment hierarchy correct
- Other fields (responsible employee, last service date, etc.) if relevant to your setup
Other data areas
The sheet also includes tabs for things like salary codes, pricing and materials, checklists, and service forms. These are more specialized and typically depend on which modules and licenses your company uses. If these are relevant to your setup, we recommend involving our Consulting team, or reaching out for guidance on the specific tab.
Need help?
Our Consulting team can assist with structuring and importing your data. Reach out to your project manager or send an email to consulting@gsgroup.no to get an estimation for the work to be done.
Download the datasheet in your preferred language below